Dropkick Murphys recently concluded their acoustic journey with Woody Guthrie, returning to their electrifying live performances. Now, they’re celebrating this chapter with a new documentary, This Machine Rising—a film that delves into the world of working-class music. The documentary captures the band’s exploration of Woody Guthrie’s lyrics, including the writing, recording, and touring process for their two acoustic albums, This Machine Still Kills Fascists and Okemah Rising. These albums breathe new life into previously unrecorded Guthrie lyrics, setting them to Dropkick Murphys’ music and drawing attention to issues that remain relevant today.

This Machine Rising also features closing commentary from Tom Morello and Billy Bragg, two iconic artists deeply connected to Guthrie’s work and the spirit of working-class music. The documentary premieres on August 30 at Noon ET on the Dropkick Murphys’ YouTube channel. You can watch it at this link.

Alongside the documentary release, the band will drop live acoustic versions of their classic songs “Citizen C.I.A.” and “Worker's Song,” recorded at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium during the final show of their 2022 This Machine... Tour. These reworked tracks will be available for pre-save here.

As Dropkick Murphys’ founder Ken Casey explains, This Machine Rising tells the story of the acoustic songs they created around Woody Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics, songs that reflect the core beliefs of the band. The film highlights the band’s 20-plus-year relationship with Guthrie’s lyrics, focusing on their recording sessions in Tulsa for This Machine Still Kills Fascists and Okemah Rising, their theater tour, and the enduring power of words and music to unite the working class and promote equity.

This journey began with Dropkick Murphys’ classics like “Blackout” and “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” the latter of which brought the band mainstream success. It culminated in their first-ever acoustic albums, This Machine Still Kills Fascists and Okemah Rising, which feature original music by Dropkick Murphys set to Woody Guthrie’s powerful lyrics, curated by Woody's daughter Nora Guthrie.

In early 2022, Nora Guthrie granted the band access to her father’s unpublished lyrics, some of which were nearly 80 years old. As Dropkick Murphys began crafting music around these words, they were struck by how timely and relevant they felt. To fully capture Guthrie’s spirit, the band traveled to Oklahoma, Guthrie’s home state, and recorded 22 songs at The Church Studio, the legendary home of the “Tulsa Sound.” These recordings were released across two critically acclaimed albums, introducing Guthrie’s work to a new generation and broadening the band’s audience through airplay and media coverage.

This Machine Rising includes interviews with band members Ken Casey, Tim Brennan, Jeff DaRosa, Matt Kelly, James Lynch, and Kevin Rheault, as well as Nora Guthrie, producer Ted Hutt, manager Jeff Castelaz, and The Church Studio owner Teresa Knox. The film also showcases highlights from the band’s acoustic tour, international rock shows, a French TV appearance, and their iconic St. Patrick’s Day performances in Boston.

Author: Adam Bailey

Adam is a regular contributor for established press release distribution website Release-News.com. He writes on a wide range of topics including music.